Users desire continuous access to media content across a wide array of devices, both fixed and mobile. Abilities to rapidly download media content in a “pay per view” subscription from a set top box or to download or stream media content over a broadband connection raise expectations for instant access. Reduced time is desired between making a selection and having the selection.
With expanded storage, processing and display capabilities, portable devices that play media content (e.g., audio, video, text, haptic material, etc.) are becoming ubiquitous. Portable media players (PMP) can also be just one aspect of a convergent handheld device that has uses such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular telephone, email application, etc. For some users who travel frequently, a mobile communication device that serves at least in part as a PMP can become a predominant source of entertainment and information.
Third-generation (3G) communication networks, which are still being deployed, are all digital, and offer data access in addition to voice services and include W-CDMA (known also as UMTS), and CDMA2000 EV-DO. Operators that support a population of mobile communication devices offer certain capabilities for selecting and downloading media content, either unicast or multicast. Typically, the video display quality is appropriate for the relatively small displays of a smart phone or similar handheld device wherein the high data compression makes use of the bandwidth constrained channel economically feasible.
New PMPs are offering larger displays and increased memory storage that are suitable to playing video with higher quality. Thus, downloading of media content requires access to a broadband communication channel with sufficient data rates for downloading larger files. These broadband network access ports or wireless coverage areas at a home or public place act as an intermediary between a source of the media content and the end user PMP. Given the large bandwidth consumption needed by the PMP to download, for example, a movie file, there can be few locations with sufficient capability to allow such use. Moreover, with increasing numbers of such PMP devices, the existing infrastructure of broadband network access locations available for PMP devices to use within a reasonable period of time can be expected to be limited. Consequently, the distribution of media content to PMP-capable devices can be limited to those who rely upon home use and have made the necessary investment in broadband network access.